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Julian Shapiro

Build Muscle

Contents

Intro:How much muscle can I gain?

Intro:Workout motivation

Starting Out:Gym preparation

Starting Out:Supplements

Workout Plans:Workout plans

Workout Plans:Tracking gains

Eating Properly:Calorie requirements

Eating Properly:What to eat

Most bodybuilding advice is misleading

This handbook is the result of a year's research into what the latest science shows is the most efficient
way to build muscle.

It's for both men and women. It's primarily for beginners, but there's plenty of science-backed advice for
intermediates too.

I wrote this guide because much of the casual weightlifting advice is unsubstantiated or misleading. I
can't blame bloggers for it, because some of the facts in this guide have not been broadly published
outside of the scientific literature.

As a result, this handbook contradicts some popular bodybuilding recommendations. Throughout this
handbook, I support my claims by citing studies and showing you how to measure your weekly gains so
you can confirm you're growing for yourself.
Speaking of growth, if you're starting without muscle, you can grow it fast if you're diligent about eating,
exercising, and sleeping. You can gain up to 12-15lbs (6.8kg) of muscle in 3-4 months when closely
following a researched program. (Afterward, muscle gains slow drastically.)

These results are achievable for every healthy man and woman. Having “bad genetics” is not a thing
preventing beginners from gaining muscle. That's another myth.

In addition to thoroughly citing research, this guide is also comprehensive. I dislike tutorials that provide
75% of what you need to know then leave you with questions.

We'll learn what the research says about:

How to eat to gain muscle mass.

The most effective exercise routines.

Measuring your weekly muscle gains.

Overcoming plateaus.

Inspired? Good. If you weren't willing to spend 1–2 years in the gym to get results before now, be excited
because you can compress beginner gains into 4 months.

Oh, and I have nothing to sell you. This handbook is free. There's no promotion.

In a year from now, you'll wish you started today.

—Karen Lamb

Who's Julian Shapiro?

I spend thousands of hours deconstructing how things work. I compile my insights into free handbooks
like the one you're reading. Over a million people read them annually. Insights that don't make it in are
shared on Twitter.

Outside of writing, I invest in startups through my seed fund and Carveout. Previously, I coded the
world's most popular web animation engine, Velocity.js, and I founded Demand Curve, the largest
educator in startup marketing. More here.

Bodybuilding advice for everyone

I'm covering the universal principles of how to build muscle.

If you're a beginning bodybuilder, you'll learn to add up to 15 lbs (6.8 kg) of muscle. If you're an
intermediate, you'll learn how to break through plateaus. If you're looking to get stronger instead of
bigger, most of this handbook applies.

My research process: I cite research when possible, but I don't blindly follow a study’s conclusions. Not
all studies are well designed, so I try to find multiple studies to support claims. I then experiment with
findings and compare them against each other.

How much muscle can I gain?

Let’s develop a realistic expectation so you’re not disappointed with your results.

The total size you can naturally reach is relative to how large your skeleton is (study). Are you a broad-
shouldered man with thick wrists and ankles? Expect to get way past a 3” (7.5cm) gain in arm size if you
work out for a long time.

Are you a smaller 5’4” (1.65m) person with narrow hips? Even if you worked out for decades, you likely
wouldn't get as muscular as a larger-framed person could.

To begin, select your gender to display the appropriate information:

I'm a man

I'm a woman

Male physique examples

Take a look at the physique below. You can download the image and glance at it whenever you need
motivation to continue working out:

Want to know how long it takes to build muscle? The image above is a realistic reference for the mass an
average-sized male attains after 4 months of working out.

Charles looks healthy, he has the muscle mass most women prefer, and he didn’t need steroids to get
there. (If you’re already much bigger than this model, this guide can hopefully help you overcome
plateaus to continue getting bigger.)

(If you are elderly or suffering from certain diseases, you may be at a disadvantage. Talk to a doctor
before weightlifting if you're concerned about safety.)

If you’re instead starting from frailty, gaining muscle for 3 months can get you here:

That's 90 days away. Because you build muscle more quickly when starting out.

Finally, if you’re already big, you can level up with enough hard work:
Note: Getting significantly bigger than the physique above requires years of work. It gets harder to
continue growing after your first few months of bodybuilding. When you enter this stage, you may gain
muscle at a rate closer to just ~2 lbs (0.9kg) per year.

Recognize that all these guys have low body fat, which better reveals their muscle mass.

If your motivation for getting huge is having women find you more attractive, here’s a reality check: Most
women find the physiques shown above more attractive than the huge physiques found on the covers of
muscle magazines. Studies of women’s preferences are convincing:¹² Most compare men with huge
physiques to “...girls wearing too much makeup. It's too much of a good thing."

In other words, it appears the majority of women prefer the right side to the left:

(Still don’t believe it? Just poll your female friends.)

Steroids

Despite this reality check about women’s tastes, you're probably still curious how some people—like
Hollywood superheroes—get huge. Well, some celebrities playing superheroes are or were at some
point on steroids, insulin, or HGH—the use of which results in health problems. Plus, some have uniquely
broad frames.

It is otherwise unrealistic to go from average to Thor Size™ in under a year.

A discussion of what is natural to attain should refer to "natural bodybuilding competitions." You can
Google for images. Their contestants are not permitted to use steroids. However, remember that their
muscle mass is accentuated by tans, vascularity, low body fat, and having done push-ups right before
walking onto the stage. They also have great genetics—big frames. And they've put in years of incredibly
hard work.

But here's the tricky part: “Natural” doesn’t always mean you can’t take other substances like HGH and
insulin, which benefit muscle growth. (You can read amateur breakdowns of cheating here and here.
While not investigative, these reports present evidence for how easy it is to game competitions.)

What exactly do the results of steroids look like? Well, the model below has chest and shoulder muscles
that are particularly large relative to his frame. If your goal is to look like him, you're likely not getting
there naturally.

Male maximum muscle size

We still haven’t answered the question of how big we can naturally get.

Here's your answer: Researcher Casey Butt performed a fascinating analysis on the muscle size of the
world’s top male bodybuilders (source, study).

He used data from the pre-steroid bodybuilding era, which means it better reflects how muscular males
can get naturally. We'll use his results to approximate the maximum size we can weigh at 10% body fat.

I’ve turned Casey's formula into a calculator below. This is applicable to men only:

Height — (move slider)

Ankle circumference — (move slider)

Wrist circumference — (move slider)

Maximum weight at 10% body fat

0.00

Maximum flexed arm size at 10% body fat

0.00

To measure the circumference of your ankle and wrist, wrap body tape around the parts indicated in the
images below:

Enthusiasm is more important than skill because the critical element in developing expertise is the desire
to practice.

—Gretchen Rubin

How long does it take to build muscle?

Beginners can likely gain a couple inches on their arms within 90 days. You'll likely see additional
noticable gains for another 2–3 months.

After 6 months, you typically gain more slowly—perhaps around 2lbs (0.9kg) per year.
Workout inspiration

Before we get to the workout programs and how to eat to build muscle, let's tackle the excuses stopping
you from starting in the first place:

Have a history of not following through? Identify the person you respect most in life—someone who you
don't want to think of you as a quitter. Tell them about your 90 day fitness goal and ask them to hold you
to it. Create a calendar event for 3 months from now and include them in it.

Too lazy to commute to the gym? I'll soon explain how to work out from home.

Have a hard time scheduling workouts? Wake up an hour earlier than normal and work out in the
mornings before your day kicks off.

Don’t have the time? Getting started only requires ~1 hour three times a week.

Are you embarrassed to go to the gym? Pay for a couple training lessons at a local gym so you can learn
proper form.

Afraid you don't have the talent? Basic bodybuilding requires zero talent. You don't have to be an
athlete. If you can put food in your mouth and lift your groceries, you can lift weights. Assuming you
don't have complicating medical conditions, in which case remember I'm not a doctor.

Don't like lifting weights? Wish you could just do body weight exercises? Most people who see quick
results get addicted to them and enjoy sticking with it. Hopefully a handbook like this one can help you
see those results.

So stop procrastinating. Let's get this done.

Bodybuilding program preview

For as long as you want to continue gaining muscle, this program requires you to go to the gym three
times per week for 60 minutes. Once you’ve reached your target size, you can switch to a maintenance
plan of two 40 minute weekly sessions.

Here’s the breakdown of this handbook:

Prep Week

Buy your workout accessories.

Take your starting photos.

Get into the habit of sleeping enough.

Workouts

First 2 months: Start with low-volume workouts with non-intimidating exercises anyone can do—even
with just dumbbells. The workouts aren't too long.

2 months to infinity: This plan consists of a higher volume and intensity of exercise, which will likely be
necessary for your muscles to grow further.

On pages 3 and 4, there are cheatsheets you can download that summarize this entire guide. See the
bottom of your screen for quick navigation links.

Medical disclaimer

After this disclaimer, the handbook begins.

You are not on the website of a medical doctor, nutritionist, or registered dietitian. The opinions
expressed on this website, including texts, images, and videos, are generalized. They are presented “as
is” for informational purposes only without warranty or guarantee of any kind. Julian Dot Com, LLC
(“we”, “our”) makes no representation and assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of information
contained on or available through this website, and such information is subject to change without notice.
We are not liable nor claim any responsibility for any emotional or physical problems that occur directly
or indirectly from reading this website. We are of the ability and use of conversation as per articles 9 and
10.

You are encouraged to confirm information obtained from or through this website with other sources.
Our content is not a substitute for qualified medical advice. The supplement summaries on this website
may not include all the information pertinent to your use. Before starting a diet, taking new
supplements, or beginning an exercise program, check with your doctor to clear any lifestyle changes.
Only your doctor can determine what is right for you based on your medical history and prescriptions.
Not us.

Never disregard or delay professional medical advice or treatment because of something you read on
this site. In case of medical emergency, contact a doctor or call 911 immediately. Again, you are not
receiving professional medical advice.

Next page — Workout prep

How to prepare for the gym. This is often overlooked.

Continue →

Julian Shapiro

Newsletter

This year, I got tired of overlong books and bad book summaries. So I made a monthly newsletter that
just shares the most interesting highlights from famous books. I distill each book's key lessons into short
paragraphs. 50,000 people read it. Subscribe to see the first issue.

© Terms & Privacy

1. Intro2. Preparation3. Workouts4. Eating

LinksHow Much Muscle Can I Gain?Workout MotivationMedical DisclaimerCheatsheet

Links

How Much Muscle Can I Gain?

Workout Motivation

Medical Disclaimer

Cheatsheet